Fender.



J. H. FERGUSON.

FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6, 1912.

1,0 5,55 r Patented Jan. 27, 191

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

JohnHFarywon wm/em I 'J. H. FERGUSON.

FENDER. 7

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6, 1912.-

1,08 5,5 58. Patented Jan. 27, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Fig.4.

Wm tfohnlifrgusom COLUMBIA PLANODRAPH CCL, WASHINGTON, D. an

JOHN H. FERGUSON, 0F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

FENDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 27, 1914.

Application filed September 6, 1912. Serial No. 718,961.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN H. FERGUSON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at- Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fenders, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to fenders for vehicles and has for an object the provision of a device operable automatically upon impact with an object on the ground for picking up the object and applying the brakes on the vehicle.

The invention embodies, among other features, a fender of the trip and dropscoop type and in which the trippingmemher, when actuated, releases a scoop arranged beneath the bottom of the vehicle to take up the object which strikes and actu-' ates the trip, the scoop having connection with the means for supplying air. to the brakes of the vehicle through a valve whereby, when the scoop assumes a depending position, the valve will be actuated to admit sufficient air to the brakes of the vehicle to apply the same and stop the vehicle.

In the further disclosure of the invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, constituting a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device showing the scoop in raised and setposition; Fig. 2 is a similar side elevation showing the scoop in dropped position; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the structure as disv closed in Fig. 1, the fender being in raised and set position; and Fig. 4 is a front elemember 17 in substantially vertical posivation of the device disclosed in Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the views,

I disclose the front portionof a vehicle 10, preferably of the ordinary street railway car type, and on the under side of which is mounted to swing a scoop 11, preferably U-shaped, the scoop, in front of its swinging connection with the vehicle, being bent to form hook members 12 connected by a cross piece 13. Stirrups 14; depend from the under side of the vehicle 10 and shank portions 15 of the hook members 12 slidably extend through the stirrups, and are engaged by expansible helical springs 16 mounted.

to encircle the stirrups with the upper ends of the springs abutting against the under side of the vehicle 10, the said stirrups 14 constituting stop members to limit the downward swinging movement of the scoop 11 as will be readily seen.

Mounted to swing on the extreme front ends of the vehicle 10, on the under side thereof, is a trip member 17, consisting of a single piece of wire bent in a Ushape and provided with eyelets 18 to which are connected retaining bars 19 mounted to slide in guide members 20 and be supported thereby, the said guide members being secured to the under side of the vehicle with the rear ends of the retaining bars 19 terminating in hooks 21 adapted to be engaged by the hook members 12, expansible helical springs 22 being mounted to encircle the retaining bars 19, with the rear ends of the springs abutting against the guide members 20 and the front ends of the springs abutting against the eyelets 18 of the trip member 17.

Now, referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the vehicle 10 is provided with the usual air pipe 23 extending from a supply tank 24 to the brake mechanism 25 of the vehicle. At a medial portion of the pipe 23 the said pipe terminates in similarly spaced tubular arms 26, 27, a valve 28 being mounted 011 the arm 26 and having connection with the usual air brake control, operated by the motorman, and a valve 29 being mounted on the arm 27 and having connec tion by means of a rod 30' with the cross piece 13 of the scoop 11.

l/Vhen the device described is in set posi tion, the hooks 21 engaging the hook members 12, will. hold the scoop 11 in its uppermost position and against the expansible action of the helical springs 16, the helical springs 22 being adapted to retain the trip tion. Now when the device is in the position mentioned, the valve 29 on the arm 27 will be in closed position. This, however, will not prevent air from passing through the pipe, as the operator of the car has control over the valve 28 and can open or close the same at will to permit the air from the tank 24: to pass to the brake mechanism 25 of the vehicle. Now, if, in proceeding along a highway, the vehicle strikes an obstruction, such as a person who has fallen in the road, the body of the person will strike the trip member 17, thus moving the same rearwardly and disengaging the hook members 12 from the hooks 21, thus releasing the scoop 11 and causing the same to move downwardly into scooping position by the expansible action of the helical springs 16, whichencir'cle the' stop members formed by the stirrups 14:, the said stop members being adapted to limit the downward swinging movement of the scoop 11 so that when the scoop is in lowermost position the same will be placed a slight distance from the ground and will pick or scoop up the person so that the body of the same will not come in contact with the wheels of the vehicle. The scoop can readily be reset by swinging the scoop upwardly and then moving the trip member rearwardly against the action of the springs 22 until the hooks 21 engage the hook members 12, after which the tri member is released and will be swung forwardly by the action of the springs 22, thus causing the trip member to secure and retain the scoop 11 in raised or set position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:' 1. In a fender, the combination with a scoop mounted to swing on the under side of a vehicle and formed of a single piece of material terminating at the free ends thereof in hook members, of stirrup-like stop members depending from the vehicle and having the said hook members slidable therein to limit the swinging movement of the scoop, springs encirclingthe stop members and engaging the hook members to swing the said scoop into lowered posit-ion when the same is released, a trip member formed of a single piece of material and mounted to swing on the vehicle, retaining bars connectedto the said trip member and adapted for releasable connection with the said hook members, and expansible springs encircling the said retaining bars for normally holding the said trip member in forward position on the vehicle.

2. In a fender, the combination wit-h a scoop mounted to swing on the under side of a vehicle and formed of a single piece of material terminating at the free ends thereof in hook members, of stirrup-like stop members depending from the vehicle and having the said hook members slidable therein to limit the swinging movement of the scoop, springs encircling the stop members and engaging the hook members to swing the said scoop into lowered position when the same is released, a trip member formed of a single piece of material and mounted to swing on the vehicle, retaining bars connected to the said trip member and adapted for releasable connection with the'said hook members, expansible springs encircling the said retaining bars for normally holding the said trip member in forward position on the vehicle, and guide members on the under side of the vehicle and having the said retaining bars slidable therein, with ends ofv the springs encircling the retaining bars abutting against the said guide members.

"3. In a" fender, the combination with a scoop mounted to swing on the under side of a 'vehicle and formed of a single piece of material terminating at the free ends thereof pansible springs encircling the said retaining bars for normally holding the said trip member in forward position on the vehicle, a cross piece connecting the said hook members, and a rod connected to the cross piece and having connection with avalve in the air brake pipe of the vehicle. i

a. In a fender, the combination with a scoop mounted to swing on the under side of a vehicle and formed of a single piece of material terminating at the free ends thereof in hook members, of stirrup like stop members depending from the vehicle and having the said hook members slidable therein to limit the swinging movement of the scoop, springs encircling the stop members and engaging the hook members to swing the said scoop into lowered position when the same is released, a trip member formed of a single piece of material and mounted to'swing on the vehicle, retaining bars connected to the said trip member and adapted for releasable connection with thesaid hook members, ex pansible springs encircling the said retaining bars for normally holding the said trip member in forward position on the vehicle, guide members on the under side of the vehicle and having the sald retaining bars slldable therein with the ends of the springs encircling the retaining bars abutting against the said guide members, a cross piece connectmg the said hook members, and a rod having connection with the cross piece and a valve in the air brake pipe of the vehicle.

5. In a fender, the combination with a scoop mounted to swing on the under side of a vehicle, of hook members formed with the said scoop, stirrups on the vehicle and having the hook members passed therethrough to limit the swinging movementof the scoop, a trip member mounted to swing on the vehicle, bars mounted to swing on the trip member and adapted to be engaged by the said hook members, springs for normally retaining the trip member in forward position on the vehicle, and springs encircling the said stirrups and engagingthe hook members to swing the said scoop downwardly when the said hook members are disengaged from the said bars.

6. In a fender, the combination with a scoop mounted to swing on the under side of a vehicle, of hook members formed with the said scoop, stirrups on the vehicle and having the hook members passed therethrough to limit the swinging movement of the scoop, a trip member mounted to swing on the vehicle, bars mounted to swing on the trip member and adapted to be engaged by the said hook members, springs for normally retaining the trip member in forward position on the vehicle, springs encircling the said 15 stirrups and engaging the hook members to swing the said scoop downwardly when the said hook members are disengaged from the said bars, a valve mounted in the air brake pipe of the vehicle, and a rod connecting the 20 ALFRED O. MELOY, WM. Low RICE.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

